Pittsburgh celebrated World Refugee Day in Market Square on Friday with food, crafts, dance and music from a range of cultures and backgrounds.
The yearly event saw stepped-up security after what Mayor Bill Peduto called hate speech and violent rhetoric aimed at the refugee community in response to the arrest of a Syrian refugee in the city who is accused by federal authorities of plotting to bomb a North Side church.
“We just want to make sure everyone who’s here feels safe,” Peduto said.
The international event is meant to celebrate the diversity, perseverance, dreams and colorful backgrounds of refugees resettled across the world. It coincides with Immigrant Heritage Month, which is celebrated throughout June.
Peduto said the festival, which ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is to “celebrate the diversity that is Pittsburgh.” The police, he said, are there not only to protect but to be a part of that celebration as well.
